The present invention relates to an article of jewelry of platinum and fine gold, and more particularly to an article of jewelry of the type wherein the two metals are connected to one another by applying the fine gold in the solid state on the platinum and heating the fine gold to its melting temperature.
An article of jewelry of this type is known from German Patent No. 27 33 602 which is owned by the applicant. In this known article of jewelry, platinum is the carrier metal and and a coating of fine gold placed on the carrier is used. The platinum portion in this known article of jewelry is at least equal to or greater than the fine gold portion because the fine gold coating has an essentially decorative character and is not intended to form the principal component of the article of jewelry.
Furthermore, German Patent No. 561 705 describes a method for welding thin platinum sheets by means of a doubling process onto a sheet of gold of sufficient thickness. Jewelry plates manufactured in this manner are used in boxes clock housings and the like. In other words, the method described in this German patent is not used to strengthen the sheet of gold. Rather, the method starts with a sheet of gold of sufficient thickness.
Other pieces of jewelry are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,955,934 and 4,107,947. Areas of these pieces of jewelry consist of thin sheet metal. They are primarily intended for producing an ornamental effect.
The processing of sheets of fine gold meets with certain natural limits because even in the solid state fine gold does not always have the desired strength necessary for articles of jewelry. Moreover, when the sheets of fine gold become thinner and thinner, there exists the danger that the edges of the sheets fray, tear, are accidentally deformed and the like.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a solution which makes it possible to exceed the natural processing limits of sheets of fine gold referred to above.